“You should sing for me” Janie exclaimed, I looked over at her and shook my head as I scoffed. She stared back at me, a hopeful look ever present on her face.
“You’re kidding right? You want me to just break out in to song?” I laughed
“Those kids on Glee do it, why can’t you?” She remarked with a cheeky grin.
“Those kids on Glee are actors. I’m not, I don’t know if I could handle having all eyes on me.”
Janie looked me up and down and shook her head.
“You’re made to have all eyes on you Sarah. There is just something about you that pulls others in.”
“riiiiiight. I’m hardly a Victoria’s secret model” I scoffed, my voice dripped with sarcasm as I rolled my eyes.
“I don’t mean just because of the way you look Sarah. Which just for the record, you’re actually a very stunning girl. I meant there is just something about you that demands attention. I know because the first time I met you, I knew I’d met someone that was going to change my life. I just didn’t know how yet.”
“That’s a bit dramatic”
“No, it isn’t and you know, even though you won’t admit it to me. I bet that Nick feels the same too. The guy hasn’t seemed the same since you walked into the office.”
“If that were true he wouldn’t be engaged still Janie”
With that, Janie let go of the discussion and then left my bedroom.
I left the room myself a little while later to make something for dinner only to find Josh had made tacos. Feeling hungry and pretty much well I made two tacos and sat down at the table to eat with the others.
“So, this work trip in a month. I was thinking one night we could go to a luau. I was googling Hawaii and it’s one of the must do things.” Josh exclaimed excitedly.
My mouth dropped. The resort destination was Hawaii? It had to be some kind of joke.
“Hawaii?” I questioned, placing my taco back down upon my plate.
“Yeah Nick sent out a mass email today with group dates and information. Kind of shocked myself. It’s the first time in five years something like this has been planned” Marc replied with a smile
“It’s almost like the guys gone crazy in love” Janie added with a mischievous grin.
I shot my eyes in her direction and shook my head subtly. The last thing I needed (or wanted) was the boys asking questions, even though I was pretty sure Josh was already wondering.
“Luau sounds like fun, will Sarah and I have to wear coconut bras and hula skirts?” Janie laughed as she nudged me in the side with her elbow. I kept my eyes down as my face reddened. Of course she’d suggest something silly like that.
“Well I don’t think anyone would complain if you do!” Marc remarked.
“I still can’t believe the destination is Hawaii” I mumbled, suddenly not very hungry.
“I’ve been there once, as a teenager. My family went one Christmas, you’ll love it” Josh soothed, obviously attempting to set my mind at ease.
“I’ve never been in a plane, I might be scared of flying” I fretted, looking up at Josh with a frown.
“We’ll all be there together, You, Me, Janie, Marc and Nick, you’ll be fine”
“Plus five others” I added, as if it was the most important information available.
“Yes, plus five others. So you’ll be fine”
I nodded uneasily and whispered a “yea. Sure” under my breath.
I helped Josh clean up after dinner and we all sat down together and watched some trashy reality show. Josh and I sat on the sofa, as far apart as humanly possible while Marc and Janie sat snuggled together on the armchair. Their relationship had altered slightly since they came back. Although I’d only been here in the house a day or two before they had to go to Janie’s Uncle’s funeral they’d been outwardly like friends, and behind closed doors they were lovers.
The friends with benefits deal had obviously grown and Marc “Vin Depp” Thompson was a wannabe lady killer no more.
“I guess on this holiday it might be you and I more than either of us expected” Josh laughed gazing over to the lovebirds. I nodded uncomfortably, he was right. Marc and Janie would probably end up doing couple stuff, I didn’t even know who the others in our group were and it was almost a Given Nick wouldn’t exactly be wooing me on the beach front.
After our “date” I’d never managed to tell him that while he was a great guy, I just couldn’t see him as more than a friend. Spending an entire week with him in Hawaii could be just be creating a recipe for disaster.
“Relax Sarah, I know that you’re not in to me, I meant as friends.”
“Oh of course, I guess I am still just worried about the plane trip”
And Nick.
Always Nick.
I went to be around 11pm, and although it took me almost an hour to drift off, when I woke in the morning I felt refreshed.
I showered and dressed before walking in to the kitchen to pour a coffee
“You’re looking better this morning Sarah” Janie remarked as she looked up at me from the table.
“I feel better. Guess I just needed a good sleep”
We all left for the office a little while later. We parked in the basement and took the elevator up. When we exited the elevator we were flanked by security guards who checked our ID tags.
“Nick’s going a bit overboard on the security detail huh” I remarked as we walked away
“I didn’t know anything about this. Nick would have got me to send a memo out. Something is going on”
Janie picked up her pace and headed to her office. I walked down to my cubicle and sat down. It took a few minutes to sign in to my computer and I didn’t think much of our entrance in to the office until my email loaded and I had an unread message from Nick.
To: Sarah Roxy SRoxy@bookedout.com
From: Nikolai Jackson Nikolai@bookedout.com
Subject: Are you here?
You didn’t answer your phone this morning, are you here? If you are, you need to come down to my office.
Nick.
I sighed and stood up. What had happened now?
Feeling frustrated I dragged my feet out of my cubicle and down the hallways until I got to Nick’s office. I knocked and waited for Janie to open the door.
“You better head in there, he’s expecting you. Boy is he stressing out”
“Do you know what’s wrong?”
“He won’t speak to me about it.”
I walked into the room then across to Nick’s door. I opened the door without knocking, walked inside and closed the door again.
“What’s up?”
“Have you been out the front this morning?”
“No. Marc parked in the basement. Why?”
“She bloody did it”
“What?” I replied confused, Nick was being far too vague for me to understand him.
“She went to the media about Alex, about my entire history. There’s a media storm down there.”
“But, you, we…. I don’t understand Nick”
“I just didn’t think she had it in her to be so cold. I guess I gave her a little too much credit. I don’t know what to do. You know how ashamed I am of my actions and how they affected my little sister. How do I deal with this Sarah?”
Nicked looked at me with utter fear in his eyes. I knew deep down it wasn’t his childhood that was what scared him. It was seeing and talking to his little sister again.
“I’m not an expert Nick, but I think you need to talk to your sister.”
“It’s been 9 years. She probably doesn’t even remember me. Not to mention the fact I walked out of her life and her foster parents don’t think letting me back in is a good Idea. They’d be right too. Why would a 16 year old girl want to get involved with this shit?”
I frowned and looked down at the floor. I took a step toward Nick then thought about it and stopped. Giving Nick a hug was unlikely to solve his problems; in fact it would probably create them.
“She’s 16. Give her the choice Nick”
“You’re right. I guess I should just be thankful Amelia has no idea what my sisters name is.”
“Yes. What a blessing”
“I’m sorry I called you in here, I rely on you far too much.”
“It’s alright. We’re friends.”
Nick smiled and nodded then leant back in his chair.
“Friends” He mimicked, with a chuckle “right”
“Nick. You know until Amelia walks away from the contract it’s all we can be.”
“I know”
I walked back over to the office door and placed my hand on the handle.
“I should get back to work”
“Yeah sorry to drag you away”
“Let me know how talking to Alex goes alright?” I smiled, looking over at nick again. I found myself wondering if she looked like him. If she was tall like her is. Did she share the same mahogany brown hair, and startling crystal blue eyes? Nick’s lips curled in to a smile that melted my heart and it took ever y fibre in my body to hold back from kissing him.
Without thinking I opened my mouth and shocked myself with the words that left my lips.
“Oh, Nick. Put me on the books. I want to make something of my life. I want to inspire other girls.”
Nicks eyes widened and his mouth dropped slightly open
“Really?!” He almost shouted, jumping to his feet
“Uh, well if you’re going to get weird about it… no”
“Sorry. I just, well ever since I heard you singing Creep I knew you were going places. A boy can get a little overexcited when he’s proved right okay”
I frowned and leant against the door.
“Don’t get a head of yourself bud; you’re just putting me on the books. Not signing a record deal for me.”
“Actually. I kind of called a friend and told him about you, he’s been waiting for my call since last week”
“Awww, you have friends” I teased
“Ha ha, very funny. He’s an executive producer at a very famous record label. So a friend well worth having given the job I do.”
My heart skipped a few beats and I wasn’t sure I was ready for anything like this to happen. Life had changed so quickly and it wasn’t showing any signs of slowing down. Except for Nick and I. We were on ice. I left Nick’s office, talked to Janie for a short while and then walked back to my cubicle to begin working. By the end of the day Nick had sent me four emails with details about meetings with his record exec friend. When I got one more at 3.30 I’d imagined it was much the same. However it was different.
To: Sarah Roxy SRoxy@bookedout.com
From: Nikolai Nikolai@bookedout.com
Subject: Thank you.
I called the number I had for Alex. Her foster parents agreed she is at an age where she can make her own decisions. She wants to meet with me Sarah.
I’ve invited her to mine for dinner tonight; turns out she still lives in the area. I said I’d have a friend there. I wanted to make her feel at ease.
Can you make it?
I replied without thinking, and said of course.
Playing happy couples with Nick for his sister wasn’t on the menu though; she knew her brother and who he is engaged to. She’d probably be expecting Amelia to be there instead.
And she was just going to get boring old me.
Crap.
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Complete and utter filler/writing block filled chapter. But now I have a fair idea how to play out the next chapter. Hope you are still enjoying the ride and thanks for reading :)